O Fantasma de Você
by Foxibabz21
Summary: senshi & generals & Usa & Endy. OOU. “Tsk, tsk. And here I was under the impression that you knew me. My name’s not ‘wench’ as you so nicely put it, it’s Venus.
1. Prologue

O Fantasma de Você

_A siren, officer, priestess, doctor, chef, princess, navy general, jeweler, and a pirate have one thing in common; they're all destined to meet each other after 13 years. Will they fall in love or fall apart as destiny plays its cruel tricks._

Okay, I know I have my other story to work on, but I just had to write this one as well. Don't worry, I will work on both of them, and since school ends in two months, I think I'll be fine. Of course, before finals it'll take awhile to update, but after that it's summer! This story is a senshi/generals and Usagi/Mamoru story, but they won't have any of their powers this time. It's also an AU. The prologue is a bit longer than the chapters will be, I wanted to introduce all the characters in one chapter.

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own anything my hands could get on, I only own what's in my room, and even that is partially my parents.

"-means talking

'-means thoughts

* * *

The wind blew across the town, making the waves splash on the boardwalk. The lone figure was leaning on the wooden railing, letting the wind blow few droplets of the sea on her face. Her cornflower blue eyes watched the sea longingly, wanting to be out there as her older brother was. She sighed, letting her hand drop to her light orange dress, and played with one of the bows on it. 

She heard her name being called by her mother and, glancing back at the sea one last time, the young girl hurried to meet her.

"Oh darling, look at you!"

The young girl glanced at herself, not seeing anything wrong. Her mother ran her hand through her daughter's blond hair, taking a few steps back to admire her daughter. She glanced at her daughter's hair again, not quite liking how it was. Her mom undid the red bow in her hair and gave it to her daughter.

"But mamma, it's yours!"

"Don't be silly, it's yours now."

The girl beamed, looking at it intently. "Can you put it on me, mamma? I want it the way you use it!"

Her mom laughed, taking the bow and tying it on her daughter's head. "It was made for you," she said, smiling.

"You really think so mamma?" They started walking, the younger blond taking her mom's hand in hers.

Her mom had a sad, far away look in her eyes. Tears started to brim her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall, and instead she wiped them away with her free hand.

"What's wrong mamma?"

Her mom put on a fake smile, not wanting to worry her daughter. "Nothing honey. Let's go meet this young man that's so intent on you."

The young girl wrinkled her nose in disgust. "He's no man, he still cries when I kick him." She seemed to brighten up at the thought.

"You kick him? That's no way for a lady to act!" Her mom pretended to sound mad.

"But mamma, he tried to kiss me!"

"Oh? Did he succeed?"

The girl looked up, startled, a slight blush appearing on her face. "I kicked him before he got the chance, but he said he had the rest of his life to kiss me."

'Little boys these days sure are changing.' "That's good sweetheart. You don't want to let just anyone kiss you."

"Mamma, when will daddy and Jade be back?"

Her mom stopped walking and glanced at the sea, her eyes glazed over. "Soon, sweetheart, very soon."

* * *

The wind blew across the hut, making its way into the open window and gently caressing the figure in the bed. The said figure tossed to the other side, pulling his covers tighter around his shoulders. The wind blew again, calling him almost, this time ruffling his hair. He tossed again, this time placing the covers over his head and mumbling incoherently. 

But the wind wouldn't give up so easily, blowing the small tree near the window and making a scraping sound against the hut. The boy groaned, tossing the covers up and walking over to the window to shut it. As he walked back to sleep once more, his father came in.

"Since you're up, you should start getting ready. Remember, your little friend is coming over today."

The boy nodded his head in understanding, his blond, almost white hair, getting in his face and gray eyes. He blew it off, but to no avail as it lazily came back down. He decided to tuck it behind his ears for now.

His dad shook his head, a grin appearing on his face. "Won't you cut it?"

"I finally got it past my shoulders, you actually think I'm going to quit now?"

"You look like a girl!" His dad said gruffly.

He smiled. "That's not what they say."

His dad snorted. "Get ready will you?"

As his dad left, he headed to the bathroom to wash. He put the water to heat and as he waited for it to get warmer, he thought about the young, blond girl that was coming over. Every time she came over, they played a game. When it was his turn to pick the game, he picked generals, one of his all-time favorite games. He, of course, was the commanding navy general and she was his pupil. Most times she complained, saying it was her turn to be the general. He would tell her that girls weren't allowed to be generals, or commanding anything for that matter.

Girls cooked, cleaned, and took care of their husband and that was it. She would get all riled up and say that it wasn't fair and that girls could do anything guys could do, but better. He, of course, scoffed at her. She would get all teary-eyed and say that one day she would have her own crew working for her and that she would show him. He, being the man, would drop the subject so as to not make her cry even more.

During one of their little fights they always had, he would, at the end, call her his woman and try to kiss her. She always kicked him and said that she was nobody's woman. He rather enjoyed teasing her because she would always stand up for herself, unlike all the rest of the girls he had met. When they weren't bickering, she was always so happy, making in turn, him smile for a little while. He didn't know how she could smile and enjoy girly stuff, but he supposed all girls did.

Feeling the steam of the water warm the room, he snapped out of his reverie and started pouring the hot water into the basin to wash. He always put it extra warm so he could stay in the tub longer; hating it when he wasn't done washing and the water was already cold.

After finishing his bath, he tied his hair at the back of his neck and got dressed. Since his mom had died, and he had no siblings, he had to help his dad with almost everything. He was embarrassed to say that he knew how to cook. He sighed, heading downstairs so he wouldn't be tempted to think about things anymore.

His dad had already cooked breakfast today and so he joined him, both of them eating silently. As soon as his dad finished, he picked both their plates up and put them aside.

"They aren't staying very long, are they?"

"No father, I know you have the late shift today."

His dad grunted. "Just mark a date and end this stupid fooling around, or forget her and get on with your life. You're 11 now; you should be coming with me as my apprentice. You do want to be a general, don't you?"

"She's six! And I don't want to marry her, she's just my friend," he lied, blushing a little. So maybe he liked her a little more than a friend, his father didn't need to know. "You know I want to be a general, if you think I'm ready I'm willing to go with you."

His father grunted again. "You don't have to marry her right now. Mark a date, when she turns 18, you guys can get married. You'll be 23, right? That's plenty of time for you to train to become a soldier. As for coming with me, you need to sign up for the training before you head out with me."

Before the boy could argue with his father, a knock was heard, and he scrambled up to get the door. He opened the door for them, the mother greeting him with a bright smile.

"Come in Ms. Aino," he said politely, stepping aside to let the blond woman enter.

"Why thank you Sir Aoki." She smiled again, stepping inside and revealing her daughter. The little girl stepped inside, not greeting him. He smiled to himself. 'She's still mad at me.'

Their parents started talking and left their kids to play by themselves. "I'm going outside, if you want to follow me, go for it." He turned around and went outside, hearing her footsteps behind him.

"I'm still mad at you," he heard her say. He stopped walking once he reached his backyard.

"If you forgive me, I'll let you be the general."

"You can't bribe me like that. I may be six, but I'm not stupid."

"Fine, you can sit on your ass all day while I have fun."

He heard her gasp and she grabbed his wrist. "I'm gonna tell your daddy you said ass!"

He smiled down at her. "Fine by me, I'll just tell your mom you said ass as well."

"I did not!" She said in a huff.

"Yes you did, 'Ako. I specifically heard you say 'I'm gonna tell your daddy you said ass'," he said triumphantly, using his nickname for her.

She pouted, crossing her arms. "That's cheating; I was just repeating what you said."

He shrugged. "I guess it depends on the way your mom looks at it."

"Fine!" she said exasperated. "Let's play something else today; I'm tired of you picking the games."

"Fine, princess," he said mockingly.

"That sounds like a great game!"

He looked at her skeptically. "Princess? You want to play princess?"

She nodded her head, a smile appearing on her face. "Yep! I'll be the princess and you can be my slave."

"I'll be the prince, you mean." He corrected her.

"Fine, whatever."

"You do know what that means don't you?" He walked over to her, looking at her intently. She looked at him, not really knowing what he meant by that so she nodded her head no. He took a step closer, lifting her chin up so he could gaze into her cornflower blue eyes. "It means we'll have to get married."

He leaned down to kiss her and it seemed like she wasn't going to kick him this time. As soon as his lips brushed hers, they heard a loud scream and then an explosion, sending them both to the ground. He covered the young girl with his body to protect her, and then he felt something hit his head, sending him to the blackness of the world. The last thing he heard was the terror in the screaming voice, and then silence.

* * *

The young, blond boy gazed at the deserted town. They were gone, his family, friends, everyone, and everything was gone. Nothing was left except for a few pieces of burned wood from destroyed houses. It had been three days since the massacre had occurred. He had not been here to protect his mother and younger sister; instead, he was out at sea helping his father, who caught an illness and had passed away the day before. 

When his father and he arrived at their home, they found what he was looking at now. They went to the medic house outside of town and saw it was left standing. When they went inside, a man said that their town had been under attack by the new enemies that were rising. The only survivors were the ones that were in the med room.

A day after their arrival, his dad passed away from the unknown illness, leaving the young boy by himself. He had searched the town by himself, hoping to find his mother and sister, but his search came up empty handed.

He looked at the place where his house was supposed to be, and tears threatened to spill from his sapphire eyes. He blinked, letting the tears spill and he wiped at them angrily. He walked back to the medic house, where he was staying, and when he arrived it was almost dark.

He walked over to one of his sister's friend, who had yet to wake up, and sat down next to his bed. He remembered the boy was about 11, two years his senior, and seemed to have a crush on his little sister. He was hoping when the boy named Kunzite woke up, he could ask him where his little sister and mother were.

He rested his chin on his knees and before long, he was fast asleep. Mrs. Mizuno looked at the sleeping boy and sighed. He had lost everything, including his family. She walked over to him, picked him up, and placed him in the bed she let him sleep in. Her husband had also died in the battle, leaving her alone with their only child.

Sometime later, he woke up with a start, his whole body covered in a cold sweat. He tossed the covers off of him and glanced to his right, where Kunzite laid, fast asleep. He cursed out loud and heard an intake of breath. Turning to his left, he saw a little girl with dark blue hair and sapphire eyes. She was very pale, and looked fragile as well.

"Sorry," he mumbled, unaware that she was there at all.

The little girl walked over to him and placed a cold hand to his forehead. He saw the concentration in her eyes before she replayed. "At least you didn't catch what your daddy had."

"I'd rather have caught it and died than be living by myself."

She didn't look at all surprised by his answer. "That's selfish of you." With that said she walked to the other boy and did the same thing. Her brow furrowed, and she grabbed a towel and a bowl with water in it and placed it on his forehead.

The blond boy, finally realizing what she said to him, nearly screamed back his reply. "Selfish? How am _I_ being selfish!" He gazed at the little girl, feeling the tears prickling at the back of his eyes.

"You shouldn't cry. Crying never brings back the dead." She walked to the door and shouted something to her mom before sitting down again on the spare bed.

His mouth fell wide open as he watched her move back to the bed to his left. He couldn't believe what she just told him. He knew she couldn't be older than he was, but her replies were far beyond any his sister would ever have said. "How old are you?"

"I'm five," she said, watching her mom come in and re-bandage the other boys' head.

"You're lying!" He said, surprised by her answer. 'No way in hell this girl can be five!'

Her eyes found his, and he could've sworn he was staring at a much older girl. 'Her eyes are giving off some sort of weird wisdom vibe.'

"Why would I be lying about my age? It would be childish to lie about one's age."

He just nodded his head, feeling tired again. He lay down, feeling drowsy from the previous days. "If Kunzite wakes up please wake me up." He didn't hear any reply but figured the little girl would oblige. As he fell asleep, the darkness filling his mind, he thought of his murdered mother and sister and promised that when he grew stronger that he would avenge their deaths.

* * *

The blue haired little girl looked at the boy named Jadeite. She hadn't meant to sound cold to him, but he wasn't the only one who lost someone they loved in the massacre. She had lost her father, and her mother was too busy taking care of everyone else to comfort her daughter. She tried to help her mother, but even she knew she was too young to really make a difference. 

Instead, she decided she would help the two boys that had survived the whole mess. Although she was five, she was a quick learner, and watching her mom work helped out greatly.

The days that followed were a bit blurry for the little girl. The boy named Kunzite had finally woken up, but his memories were a bit foggy, angering the other blond boy. She, of course, was the peace maker between the two. Kunzite had left after a few days for the training camp. He was determined to be a navy general now then ever. That left Jadeite and herself.

He mainly kept to himself, but he warned up to her later on. She guessed it was because he missed his sister and was seeing her as a little sister now. It seemed every time they were having fun, he'd stop and distance himself from her again.

"You know," she said, coming up to him after one of his episodes. "You don't have to keep beating yourself up about your sister. I know I won't ever replace her, and I know you don't want to forget her, but sometimes the best thing to do is make room for new people in your heart. You should never forget her, but you should let go." She smiled a little, hoping to ease some of his pain.

He smiled back, knowing she meant well, but still not feeling like his old self. She let him be alone while she picked up a book and did some light reading. She had decided to follow her mom in her footsteps, and was going to start her medical training as soon as possible. She glanced at the boy sitting by himself. 'Maybe I can prevent families from falling apart if I became a great healer.'

* * *

The day had promised to be a sunny one, but like her mood, it suddenly took a violent turn. The gray, puffy clouds circled above, promising rain, and the wind wiped her raven hair violently, almost to the point of stinging her face. She felt the on-coming rain, and soon it began to shower, the droplets splashing her face. But none of it mattered. 

She just stood there, her exotic violet eyes searching for that one person that would change her mood completely, but she knew somehow, that he wasn't coming back. He had left her, alone, with only her grandpa. She shivered a little from the cold, rubbing her arms for warmth, but it didn't really help.

It had been a little over a week since her father left her with her grandpa. She knew he wasn't coming back, not after what happened to her mother. She also knew her father blamed her for the death of her mother. Thinking about him and what he had done to her made her angry, and her violet eyes blazed with furry.

Yet, here she was, standing in the cold, pouring rain waiting for the man she used to call father. She heard footsteps behind her and knew her grandpa was coming to fetch her. She was living with him in his temple, helping him out, and at first she pretended that it was only for a few days, but in the back of her mind, she knew it'd be forever.

Once again her anger blazed, and she hated her father for doing this. She felt her grandpas hand on her shoulder, guiding her back to the temple, and with one last look, she followed him.

'For staying out there for so long, her body isn't even cold.' Her grandpa observed as he lead her into the temple. He had already made tea and gotten a blanket to wrap her in once she came inside.

"Thanks Grandpa."

He just smiled at her, sitting down and sipping his tea as well. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke.

"Since I am to live here, I can help you with the chores."

He set his tea down before replying. "Is it OK if I train you in the art of becoming a priestess? This old temple needs one, and I know you'd be perfect for it."

"You really think so Grandpa?" She tried to sound casual, but her enthusiasm showed.

"Of course this is going to be hard, vigorous training. You will learn how to defend yourself, read fires, use ofudas, meditate, heighten your senses, and take care of an old temple and an old man. Think you can do it?"

"I know I can," she said confidently, her eyes showing her excitement and dedication.

"I can tell you have your mothers' spirit." He smiled proudly at his granddaughter.

She smiled back, hiding the hurt she felt inside. "I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to get some rest. See you in the morning, Grandpa." She got up, kissed his cheek, and headed to her room. She was kind of happy her room was in a secluded area. Her grandpa told her, when she first arrived, that this used to be her mothers room.

The thought brought another wave of nausea, hitting her head on that she fell on her bed from the weakness. She finally let the tears fall freely, not having the energy to stop them. She cried silently, hugging her pillow for comfort. After calming down, she sat up and wiped the tears away angrily. She hated that she was showing weakness, so she promised herself she'd never cry again, that no one would make her cry again.

She walked over to her window and sat on the little ledge, watching the sun set on the ocean, sending vibrant colors back at her. 'I guess I can get used to the view,' she thought, watching as the sun disappeared beneath the ocean.

Feeling tired all of the sudden, the little five year old headed to her bed where she dropped on it with a sigh. Before falling into a deep slumber, she thought of her priestess training the following morning. During the night, she tossed and turned, her small frame shuddering at the cries of pain and loss in her mind. That morning she awoke not remembering her premonition.

* * *

The birds chirped loudly as they bobbed in and out of the pond, resting on the smaller rocks for easier access. It was a clear day with no clouds in sight, the sun shining down brightly. There was a bit of a breeze, but it didn't bother the girl who was heading to the pond. 

Her auburn hair bounced lightly from the ponytail it was held in, her emerald eyes scanning the area, as she took a seat on a rock with a sigh. Her face was lightly covered with flour, an ingredient she used that day.

'Being an apprentice sure is tough,' she thought idly, taking off her shoes and dipping them into the pond. She sighed in contempt as the warm water made its way up her body, sending little shivers up her spine. She took off her apron, and glancing around, she took of her pale green dress, standing in only her chemise.

She slid into the warm water, letting her hair down and going under the water, wetting her whole body. Today she was learning how to make different types of cakes, and keeping all the ingredients straight was taking a toll on her mind.

She sighed again, resting against a rock for support. After her parents had died a year ago, a chef had taken her as his apprentice. He was a kind old man, giving her a home, and food every day. In return, she was learning his ways in cooking so when he passed, she prayed it wouldn't be anytime soon, she could promote his name and his recipes.

It wasn't that she didn't mind, she loved cooking after he introduced her to it, but she wanted to be like any normal six year old. With friends and parents that loved her back. Not only was she friendless and parentless, the boys in the village were afraid of her. After a couple of months living here, she figured out why. She was unusually tall for her age, surpassing some of the older boys, and she could beat them in anything they tried.

Whether it be racing, climbing trees, wrestling, and even fighting, she could do it all with ease, and she guessed that was what they were afraid of. Of course, another girl told her that only boys did those things, and that girls were supposed to act like ladies.

She really had no idea how a "lady" was supposed to act, but if she couldn't do the things she loved, then maybe she didn't want to act like a lady. With another sigh, she pushed off of the rock, swimming to the middle of the pond and going under again.

When she resurfaced, she heard the snapping of twigs to her left and promptly turned to that direction, her sharp emerald eyes searching for the intruder. Her eyes settled on a young boy with strawberry blond hair. He was watching her with an amused smiled on his face. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around her upper body.

She saw him grin again as he walked closer. "My, my, and who do we have here?"

"That's none of your business!" She said, trudging to where her dress was at, clumsily trying to hide her upper body from his view. When she finally got to where she could place her feet on the bottom of the pond, she turned to the boy, addressing him. "Turn around."

He grinned again, his emerald eyes searching hers. "Why would I do that? I barely know you, for all I know you could grab a knife and throw it at me."

She reframed from snorting. "I assure you, sir, that I will do nothing of the sort. I merely want to change… without you looking, that is," she said, adding the last bit with a blush.

He shrugged his shoulders, turning around and crossing his arms over his chest. She quickly got out of the water, her chemise hugging her body, making her feel uncomfortable. Pulling it off with much difficulty, she tossed it aside and swiftly put on her dress and apron. "You can turn around now," she said softly, trying to dry her hair with her hands.

He turned around, eyeing her up and down before grinning again. She glanced down, nervous from his staring; only making him grin wider. Pushing her embarrassment aside, she asked, "Why are you here?"

He shrugged, walking around her and sitting down on the rock she had previously used. "I was just walking around and stumbled on this magnificent place."

She crossed her arms, not believing him one second, and sat down next to him. "Don't try anything funny." She eyed him suspiciously.

"And what, might you say, is categorized as 'funny'?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

She backed away from his slightly, feeling uncomfortable all of the sudden. He saw her nervousness and laughed out loud, finding the whole thing amusing. "Don't worry, I promise I won't touch you unless you say the word."

She felt a little reassured, but still held her ground on the rock. "No lies either."

He broke out in a grin again. "Fine, must you ruin all my fun? Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question."

She just glanced at the strange boy in front of her, wondering what he really wanted.

"I'm new here, if you haven't noticed," he said, trying to make small talk.

"You haven't met everyone else then, have you?" She said more than asked.

"If by everyone else you mean people our age, no, I haven't. Why'd you ask?"

She grimaced a little, not really wanting to tell him. "Well . . . you're the first boy to actually talk to me normally."

"What do you mean by that?" He urged her on, wondering what this girl was saying.

"Most boys are afraid of me, or don't even bother trying to get to know me."

"Why?" He asked simply.

She hesitated, trying to search for the right words. She decided to use the one the girl told her. "I guess I don't act 'lady like' like the rest of the girls do here."

He snorted. "Good. I don't like boring girls. It's good to be spontaneous."

She looked up at him from where she was fiddling with the hem of her dress, surprised. After the initial shock, she smiled at him. He smiled back, knowing he had made a friend for life.

* * *

There wasn't a cloud in site that night; the stars twinkling brightly as the wind slowly caressed the boys' face. He was stretched out on the grass, looking up at the stars, his sky blue eyes searching for something. His search was in vain, and he sat up, sighing. It had been a week since the stars had last said something, and he was beginning to worry. 

He glanced up at the stars again, hoping he had missed something, but once again he found nothing. He finally got up, the coins around his torso jingling with the movement. He started heading to where his parents had camped for the night, his thoughts wondering to the stars.

His mother had taught him how to read the stars, something he enjoyed after he got the hang of it. His mother had tried to teach him how to read palms, but he had insisted that he didn't need to learn how. His mother had insisted that he learn, but he just waved her off, telling her all he wanted to do was read the stars. She had finally given up on him, letting him have his way.

He glanced up and noticed he was close to the camp site by the small fire his father had lit up. They weren't traveling alone this time, a couple more gypsy families had come with them. They had rested in the open field today, but his father had said that tomorrow they would go to the Hikawa Shrine. He had asked why and his father had said that it was becoming more dangerous to stay out in the fields.

When he finally arrived, his mother came up to him and asked if he found anything of importance. He just nodded his head no, a worried look on his face.

"Don't worry; it takes time for the stars to respond."

"But it's been a week, mother!" He said exasperated, his frustration evident in his voice.

"Patience my dear. Apparently you inherited your father's hot head," she said, laughing at her son.

He didn't say anything, choosing to sit down quietly. His mother looked down at him, restraining from rolling her eyes.

"And his grumpiness too."

He threw his arms in the air, the coins jingling as he made frustrated movements with his hands. "Mother, this is not the time to make fun of father!"

"I wasn't making fun of just him," she mumbled under her breath, sitting down near her son to hear him better.

"I heard that," he grumbled back.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, putting his face in his hands. "I . . . I'm not exactly sure." He ran a hand through his wavy brown mane. "I've just got this weird feeling."

"In the pit of your stomach?"

He nodded, not really surprised that his mother had guessed it. She smiled at him, her eyes getting a misty look in them. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction.

"It means you're going to meet someone special," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, getting up and heading to the fire.

He groaned, not liking the sound of that and the way his mother reacted to it. "What do you mean by that?"

His mother turned and stared at him. "Oh, you'll find out sooner or later. Remember when you got to sleep to extinguish the fire with the water."

He watched as his mother walked off, not liking her answer to his question. He glanced at the fire, staying up all night listening to it flicker and pop with amazement.

That following afternoon they arrived at the shrine, his father speaking to the old man that owned it, asking if they could stay for a few days. The old man said he would agree if they, in return, would help him and his granddaughter with the chores. His father had agreed and soon he was standing in his room that he would share with the other two boys from the other family.

He ventured outside, the strong scent of sakura blossoms hitting his senses. He headed towards it, wanting to see what the tree would look like during this time of year. When he arrived, he saw a young girl with priestess garbs sweeping the petals that had fallen. He noticed she was having a hard time since the wind kept blowing the pile she kept making.

He took a step forward and she glanced up from her work, their eyes meeting. Her eyes were ablaze with anger and his full of understanding. So this was what his mother had meant and for some strange reason, he felt this girl was one of those "special people" his mother had talked about.

* * *

The wind blew; making the waves hit the boat that had been sailing for two weeks. It was a medium sized boat, but its speed was unmatched, having black sails and the middle one adorned with a white skull. He was the only one out there; everyone else had gone to sleep. 

He looked up at the stars as the wind ruffled his raven hair. His gaze wandered to the white skull on the black sail. It was in his blood, being a pirate. He sighed, wondering if it would be any fun. He would become the prince for the pirates that were sleeping now.

He sighed again, not liking the idea. But then again, he would get his own crew, and his own ship, and that was always a plus. And he would get half of the plunders . . . this was sounding better and better as he thought about it.

He shook his head. 'I'm starting to sound like my old man,' he thought dryly.

His sapphire eyes glinted with a hidden emotion, but it disappeared as soon as it surfaced. 'I have no time to think about the past.'

Although he was young, 10 to be exact, he still had a job to do. His mentor was going to teach him everything he knew so when he was older, he could become the next pirate king. Right now he was merely the prince.

Another draw back was that there was nobody else around his age. Something he was getting used to by now. He got up, deciding to practice his throwing skills. He grabbed the hidden knife strapped to his boot and threw it at the door. He took another knife, from his other boot, and tossed it. He walked to the said door and found his accuracy had improved. The knives were side by side, where he intentioned them to be.

He smirked at his improvement wondering if his sword handling had advanced. There was one way to find out. Almost joking to the room, he knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. There came a muffled voice from within.

"Come out so I may see if I've improved."

The door swung open to reveal a shaggy blond boy, his eyes half closed with sleep. "Are you crazy! It's time to sleep, not get your ass kicked time."

He grinned. "Are you saying you can beat me Motoki?"

Motoki let out a frustrated growl. "This is no time for you to play pirate. Go to sleep."

"Come on!"

Rubbing his eyes from the last remains of his slumber, Motoki grinded his teeth. "You're going to get it now. You've deprived me of my sleep again, and this time I'm tossing you over board."

The other boy grinned. "That's what I wanted to hear."

"You better not cry once I finish beating the shit out of you." Motoki followed his younger friend to the upper part of the deck. They both grabbed their swords and faced each other in defensive stances. The raven haired boy grinned before running towards his opponent.

* * *

The young girl awoke with a gasp, her heart beating frantically from her nightmare. Her silvery blond hair fell in waves around her pillow and she sighed as she realized it was only a dream. Falling back down onto her bed, she welcomed the dark, which she called sleep. 

A few hours later a she felt the sun hit her face. Grunting, she turned to the other side, wanting a few more minutes of sleep. Of course her adviser would have nothing of the sort. Chiding her for sleeping in, the woman walked to the other window and pulled aside the drapes, letting the sun hit the young girls' face.

Groaning, the young girl sat up. "I'm awake, I'm awake."

"About time, I was beginning to wonder. You'll be late to your lessons again. You know how your mother gets."

"The sun's barely up. I highly doubt I'm going to be late."

"You have five minutes until your first lesson."

Her baby blue eyes shot open. "Luna! Why didn't you tell me?"

She scrambled out of bed, only to fall flat on her face because her legs were tangled around the sheets. She let out a small squeak as she fumbled around, trying to get loose from the hold her sheets had on her. "Luna!" she whined, "help me!"

The dark haired woman laughed at the scene of the princess being held captive by her sheets. "I was only joking, my dear."

The five year old, finally escaping her prison, stalked over to Luna. "You mean I fell for no reason?"

Luna shook her head, a smile appearing on her face. "Come now, you must bathe before you really become late for your lessons."

The blond girl blanched. "But I don't wanna!"

"You mean to say that you want to smell like rotten eggs the whole day while people talk about you? A princess should never smell."

The young girl sighed. "I'm only doing this because I'm a princess. What if I don't wanna be a princess anymore?"

"You'd still have to bathe," Luna said, taking the small girls hand and leading her to the tub.

The little princess eyed the tub wearily. "Why can't I go outside and play with the bunnies? I'll just get dirty again."

"Because if you don't bathe even the bunnies will run away from you. They would smell you a mile away."

"That's not funny," the little princess said, trying to hide the smile that threatened to show on her face.

"If you bathe without any more complaining, I'll let you have a piece of cake for breakfast."

The little girl smiled, hopping into the tub without a second thought. "Make that with ice cream and I won't complain for a whole week."

"Deal."


	2. Chapter I

O Fantasma de Você

Chapter 2

Sorry for the long long absence…..but school got me down….that and I DID have about five pages of this chapter written, but my computer crashed and I lost everything. So, here it is, and I am truly sorry for such a long wait.

Disclaimer: Please look at chapter one for it cause I really am sick of saying it.

"-means talking

'-means thoughts

* * *

The sky overhead was a dull gray, promising a light rain. The wind swept through the ship, making the ships sails jerk violently. The woman on the main deck tossed her head back, letting the wind caress her blond locks. She heard someone call for her and she opened her blue eyes, searching for the source of the voice.

Her keen eyes saw a figure on the yard of the fore mast. The woman slid down and landed on the forecastle deck. Walking up to the blond woman, she stopped and looked east bond. "The ship's heading this way."

"Good. I need a little fun." Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "Round up the girls Miho."

The one named Miho nodded her head and headed to find the other women. Soon, a score of women all dressed in vibrant pinks, blues, yellows, and oranges circled around the blond. They started to chant, their voices getting louder and louder as the song progressed. As they sang, their bodies moved to the music in a seductive tempo. The blond squinted, her sharp gaze spotting the approaching vessel. A smirk appeared on her face. "Ladies get ready. The boys are coming out to play."

A red haired young woman walked to the edge of their ship, waiting until the other ship was near enough and as soon as it was, she pulled the trigger on the huge machine next to her. It shot out towards the other ship, securing that ship with theirs. She did that with four other machines.

"It's secured," she said to the blond after she was done.

"Let's get them girls," the blond said as she headed to the mast. Climbing up a bit, she grasped a rope, took a step back, and jumped. She swung over to the other ship, her blond hair whipping behind her. Letting go of the rope she did a front flip, landing in a crouching position. Some of the women were already tying up some of the men to the mast while others where boarding the ship. Her blue eyes scanned the ship, making sure everything was running smoothly. When things settled down, she walked to one of the mast's that was holding the captain of the ship.

"Well, well, well, look what the sea brought in," she said, running a delicate finger under the captain's chin. He turned his head violently, disgust in his eyes. She smiled in amusement. "Oh? Cat got your tongue?"

"You're gonna get it you little wench, you and your siren whores! Navy Gen-"

The blond stopped him with a finger to his lips. Getting close enough so she could whisper in his ears, she said, "Tsk, tsk. And here I was under the impression that you knew me. My name's not 'wench' as you so nicely put it, it's Venus. Please try to remember that so you can tell that little Navy General for me. I'm just dieing to meet him." She smiled when she felt him shiver. "Cold, are we? I'll heat things up for you."

With a sly grin on her lips, she pressed her own lips to his and as soon as she felt him respond she pulled away. "I'll even give you something of mine." With a nod of her head, a brunette came bearing something. The blond took it and examined it. "It's the sign of Venus, captain, and you'll always carry it with you."

Grabbing his hand, she turned it so his palm was facing down. With her other hand she took the symbol and branded his skin with it. Ignoring the howl he let out, she passed the brander back and examined what she had just done. Satisfied with the sign, she turned around and walked to the middle of the ship.

"Did you grab everything Miho?" the blond asked the woman who appeared on her side.

"We got the gold, food, cloths, and weapons. Want anything else?"

"No, I think that will do." Turning to face the other women, she said, "Grab what you want, we're heading out!"

Someone had put a long board across both ships. Using that to get back to their ship, the blond waited until all her women had come across, some bringing men with them. As soon as everyone was on, Miho and the blond pushed the board, pulled the strings with the latches on them that was connecting the ships together back to their ship, and stepped back. When their ship was a couple of feet away from the other one, the blond and Miho aimed their guns on the ropes that were tying the other men to the masts. With accurate shots, they untied them. As soon as they had done that, other women lit the cannons and aimed at the ship.

The blond watched as the other ship was bombarded with cannon balls. They always sunk the other ship when they were done with it. They always untied the menbefore doing it though, so they could have a slighter chance of survival. If the sailors survived to see another day she always hoped they would tell their navy general, or anyone that could put up more of a struggle. She always liked a good challenge. If they didn't survive, well. . .

Turning to face her crew, she saw smiles on their faces. Some where putting away the stuff they had stolen while others where heading to their rooms, a sailor trailing behind them. Her smile faltered a bit and a frown appeared on her face. She turned around and headed to the end of the ship, leaning on the rail and gazing at the sea.

The other women would take a man to bed, saying that they would get lonely if they didn't. She wasn't against it; she too understood the feeling of loneliness and had even bedded a man once. She had done it out of curiosity, since Miho said it was the most fun any girl could have, but afterwards she had felt worse. She felt like something was missing, like the whole love aspect of it. She was always a strong believer of love, even as a child.

"Minako!"

Hearing her name brought her out of her trance. She turned around to face Miho, who held a brown haired, green eyed man with her. "You sure you don't want him?"

Minako gave her a grin. "Yes, I'm sure. You go have fun now." Her quick eyes caught the subtle change of expression on the man's face. She almost laughed at the disappointment noticeable in his expression. But as soon as Miho started to lead him to her room, Minako saw a pleased look on his face again. Everybody had already headed to their quarters and Minako was left alone to her thoughts. Lying down with her legs and arms spread apart and her long, blond hair fanning around her, she closed her eyes and let the wind lull her to a peaceful but light sleep.

* * *

The fast beat of his own heartreached his ears as he took another sharp turn. Dodging people in the streets, he took another turn, turning his head back to glance behind him. He didn't see any officers but continued to run, making sure to lead them as far away from his crew as possible.

They had ventured into land, stealing the supplies they needed, but a newbie had gotten caught so he told his second in command to gather all the things they needed and to meet him in the next port, Cayonne. Cayonne was in the Low Country, three miles from where he was, a place called Basse-Terre.

Hearing shouts and footsteps, he took a left into a busy street. Knocking things down as he passed them, he dodged people and little children in the road. He took a right this time into a narrow path with small structures on each side, his shoulders barely touching the structures. He glanced back again, this time his keen, sapphire eyes caught a glimpse of men in red uniforms.

Cursing under his breath, he hoped he could get rid of at least half of them with the plan that he was concocting in his head. Seeing the sign that said "Blacksmith" and a wall that was at least ten feet high, he quickly came up with a way to escape. His feet not once making a sound on the cobble road, he jumped sideways, using the structure on his left to propel him higher and to his right, where the sign was at. Using the right structure to propel him even higher so he could grab the sign, he grabbed on and swung forward twice before letting go. He flew over the wall easily, doing a small flip and landing in a crouching position on a roof top.

Looking to where the officers where at, he saw that all of them skidded to a halt. He grinned, congratulating himself on his narrow escape. He quickly ran across the roof top, just in case the officers decided to shoot at him, and jumped down into another alley. Glancing to his left, he strained his ears so he could pick up any sound. Satisfied that he heard nothing of importance, he ranstraight and back out into the busy market life.

He ran without stopping for a couple of minutes, letting the wind sweep through his sweat soaked body. He stopped for a minute to take off the mask that was covering part of his face. Wiping the sweat off of his face with his shirt, he was just putting the mask back on when he heard footsteps behind him. Glancing back he saw one officer running after him.

Cursing, and his face in an unhappy scowl, he started running again. He heard the officer shout for him to stop, but he kept on running. Soon, his breath was coming out in short rasps and he had a stab of pain on his left side, but he didn't stop running.

'Damn this hill!' He growled to himself as he climbed the slopped hill. As soon as the slopped hill went even again, he put on a burst of speed, but stopped abruptly because he almost tumbled right over the edge of where the land stopped.

For the first time in his life, he felt fear gripping him and felt an uneasy feeling crawling up his spine. This couldn't be it, he couldn't fail! Whirling around when he heard the footsteps of the officer that followed him coming to a stop, his mind quickly raced through his options.

The blond officer had pulled out a wheellock pistol. He, too, was trying to catch his breath. "Steady now. Don't do anything stupid."

The dark haired man snorted, a grin appearing on his face. "Please, will you be so kind as to define stupid for me?"

The blond man slowly inched closer to the other man. "If you come with me, I promise we will not hang you at once."

At this the dark haired man laughed. "Well, well officer, such a promise that is. Enlighten me, what will you do if I don't cooperate?"

"I'll shoot you," said the blond officer.

The dark haired man laughed again. "You must be a really good officer, chasing me down all this way, and a sense of humor! I'm surprised you got this far, but I really do have to be going." With one fluid motion, he turned around and jumped. Seconds later he heard a gun fire and felt pain shoot through his left thigh, but he didn't care because he was hurling towards the ground.

The fall wasn't high, but as soon as he landed on the uneven dirt, his left leg gave in, not being able to take the strain of landing. His leg giving out, and with the motion of his jump, he rolled the rest of the way down the hill. When he stopped rolling, his face flat against the dirt, he tried to catch his breath. His whole body protesting, he got up slowly, wincing when he put pressure on his left leg.

Glancing back to see if the officer had jumped (he hadn't) he tried walking. He grunted when the pain shot through his leg. He grabbed his dagger and cut his right and left sleeves. Tying them together to make a bigger piece, he tied it around his leg tightly. Glancing around to observe his surroundings, he spotted what looked like a temple towards his right. Bracing himself for the pain, he started limping towards the temple, each of his steps making him grimace.

Half-way there he stopped walking and leaned against a tree, his breathing coming in rigid gasps. He took off his mask, stowed it away, and began walking again, this time ignoring the pain. When he finally got to the side of the temple, he leaned against it and walked towards the front, looking for the stairs.

'You've got to be shitting me!' He thought as his eyes scanned the stairs. There were at least 100 steps. Cursing the gods that ever made temples with steps, he started climbing very slowly. Finally not being able to take it anymore, he fell down, exhausted and clutching his left leg. His sensitive hearing picked up a female and male voice just above him.

"Hey! Can anyone hear me up there?"

The voices stopped abruptly and soon he saw a man and a woman coming down the steps. The woman, who was wearing priestess garbs, bent down and examined him. Her eyes were a deep shade of violet and her raven hair reached past her backside. She was an exotic beauty, something he had rarely seen. She touched his left leg lightly and he drew in a sharp breath.

She turned to the man beside her, who had on a very colorful scarf on his brown, curly hair. When she started speaking to him, his chocolate colored eyes bore down on the other man on the steps. "Help him up, he's been shot on the leg."

The dark haired man was fighting consciousness, trying to keep his sapphire eyes opened long enough to explain his situation. He felt the other man heave him up and noticed that he was quite a few inches shorter than his helper, which was saying a lot since he was already considered tall. Putting all of his weight on the taller man, they followed the priestess up the stairs and into the temple.

"Put him in the spare bedroom. While I clean the wound head into town and ask for the doctor."

While the two men took a left, the woman took a right into a smaller room. The brown haired man led them into a small room and placed the injured man on the bed. He turned around and without even saying anything, left the room, sliding the door closed behind him.

The injured man heard whispers behind the door; straining his ear, he heard that the woman was getting impatient with her fellow friend. But she obviously got her way since she walked into the room caring a bowl and cloths with her. Setting the bowl beside her, she examined his wound again.

"I'm going to have to cut your breeches." Taking out a small dagger, she didn't wait for his reply as she gripped his breeches and cut a line on the left side. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she got closer to the wound. "May I ask how you got this?"

"I got shot by an officer," was his reply.

The woman refrained herself from rolling her eyes. 'If that's not obvious, I don't know what is.' "Would asking why be too much?" Her violet eyes met his, her gaze scrutinizing.

"I . . . stole an apple at the market . . . for this little kid I saw that looked hungry." He almost had the urge to pat himself on the back for such a great lie! He got shot for being chivalrous, something any woman would find intriguing.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, continuing on cleaning the blood off of his leg. "My name's Rei Hino," she said after awhile, placing the fourth bloody cloth in the water basin to clean.

The man was silent for awhile. He had been enjoying her soft touch a little too much. He thought about what she just said and she probably wanted his name in return. Well, he could tell her his real name, but then she might recognize it from somewhere and order his death. He would settle on his middle name, a name no one knew. "My name's Mamoru."

"What? No last name?" She couldn't stop the biting remark that came out of her mouth. He looked slightly taken aback, but recovered hurriedly.

"I do not think last names are important," he said with a smile.

"Well then, you most certainly are a sailor. Any other man would be proud of his last name, unless of course, he had something to hide."

Once again Rei had caught him off guard. "And what a tongue you have. You are right on two of those remarks. I was a sailor and I do not feel like my father's name would give me enough credit and as for that last remark, I would never hide anything from such a beautiful lady as you." He smirked.

A small smile appeared on her lips. 'So he's just as pig-headed as any other man around here.' "Well," she said as she got up. "That's all I can do. You'll have to wait until the doctor gets here." She had walked to the corner of the room and he had noticed how graceful she was. She returned to his bedside caring a set of clothes with her. "Put these on since I tore yours. Nephrite should be here with the. . ." She trailed off as the sound of crows reached their ears. Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. She turned towards him and bowed. "Excuse me. It seems like I have company. Please put that on and I will return shortly with a glass of water and something for you to eat." With that she was out of the room, her long raven hair swishing behind her from her movement.

* * *

He had arrived later than what he originally planned. The masked villain could have easily gotten away by now, but he hoped he hadn't. Climbing the last set of stairs, he stopped at the top to catch his breath. He heard wings flutter and looked up, spotting two crows on top of a pole. The crows seemed to linger a bit and then shot down on him, cawing at him as their pointed beaks and sharp talons cut his arms and face.

"Phobos! Deimos!"

The crows stopped their vicious attack on him and he looked up, startled. His breath caught in his throat when he gazed at the figure before him. She would have been considered god-like if it weren't for the scowl etched on her face. He hoped it wasn't because of him that she had that look.

She came closer to him and he noticed she had the most unusual set of eyes; eyes the color of violet. Her delicate touch on his face made him jump a little. The scowl was back and her eyes were ablaze with a fire he really hoped was not directed at him. "Please follow me so that I can make amends for what my crows did to you."

He just nodded dumbly and followed her, liking the way her hair swayed as she walked. When they arrived in a room, she ordered him to sit down and he did so. She took out a basin and some cloths and walked towards him and sat down. Taking his cut up hand, she dipped the cloth in the water and started cleaning his wound.

"I'm sorry," she said, her words coming out a bit strained. "For what my crows did to you back there. I don't know what got into them. My name's Rei Hino by the way."

"My name's Jadeite Aino. No harm done . . ." '. . . Except for my pride.'

Rei grasped his chin and turned his face to the right, examining a small cut on his cheek. She wiped the blood off with the cloth, noticing how he stiffened when her hand brushed against his cheek. "Your arms are cut too," she said, looking at his uniform that now had small cuts winding around his arm.

"So they are," he said, for the first time noticing the stings coming from his arm. "I appreciate you trying to help, but I'm not here to be pampered."

"Why did you come here? It's not because of that damned tax collector, is it? Just because he fell down the stairs on accident I'm getting arrested?"

Her temper had flared so suddenly he was caught off guard. Rei had gotten up during her sudden outburst and was now narrowing her eyes at him. "He was harassing me, he deserved what was coming."

"I'm sure he did, but I was actually looking for a masked man. He has a wound on his thigh."

Rei raised her eyebrow. This time when she spoke, her voice came out even and not strained from an attempt to mask her anger. "Masked man?" She decided to play dumb; it was none of her business what Mamoru really _had_ done. If Jadeite found him, good for him; if he didn't, then it wasn't her fault.

"Yea, you don't mind if I have a look around, do you? I also need to speak to the owner of the temple."

"You're looking at her."

Jadeite laughed but stopped when she narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I thought you said-"

"I did," she bit back at him. "My grandfather died recently, leaving me his temple." Her tone had become cold now.

Jadeite almost hit himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Cutting him off again, she said, "Just hurry up and have a look around, I don't have all day. I have more important things to do than to talk to an ass all day. Some of us actually have work to do." Her sarcastic tone did not go unnoticed by Jadeite.

"What do you mean by that!" He bit back, his anger also rising.

She gave him a crude smile. "Masked man? Come on now, sounds like you're chasing something you made up. Maybe my crows did more damage than I thought." She let that thought linger in the air as she turned around and walked out of the room. Jadeite blinked once. Twice. Today just wasn't his day.

* * *

Rei bit her lip in frustration as she turned the corner. 'The nerves on that guy!' She thought angrily as she let her feet guide her through the temple. 'He even had the guts to laugh!' Her mind was reeling with what just happened when she stopped abruptly. A thought had just occurred to her; she had the man that Jadeite wanted, but he didn't know that. She raised her eyebrow as a small smile appeared on her face. No man was going to make her look like a fool, oh no, on the contrary. She'd just have to return the favor.

* * *

So I thought I'd leave it at that. Once again, sorry for such a long wait, but it's out now. The other characters will appear in the next chapter, so I guess you'll have to wait and see what Rei has in store for Jadeite! Please, please review! I'm not one to ask for reviews, but it really does make a difference on how fast I get chapters out…… 


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